Fox News and its connection to the Pittsburgh cop massacre
April 05, 2009 4:24 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
We're learning more and more about the killer who called cops to his apartment in order to execute them on Saturday morning. We're learning that Richard Andrew Poplawski was a right-wing conspiracy nut who was convinced the new Democratic administration was going to take away the guns of Americans.
We've also learned, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that Poplawski was an avid fan of conspiracist and radical talk show host Alex Jones. A "freak" was how the conservative blog Little Green Footballs described Jones today.
From the Post-Gazette:
Believing most media were covering up important events, Mr. Poplawski turned to a far-right conspiracy Web site run by Alex Jones, a self-described documentarian with roots going back to the extremist militia movement of the early 1990s.
Who's been mainstreaming the "freak" Alex Jones in recent days? Who's been embracing his conspiratorial rants and giving them a platform and legitimacy? Fox News, course.
Click here to watch FoxNews.com intro its webcast segment about "what the government has done to take your liberty and your property away." And watch the Fox host introduce the "the one, the only, the great Alex Jones." The radio nut then launches into talk of the "New World Order" a "global government." Listen as Jones warns the Fox News audience about the Obama "agenda" for "gun confiscation." And watch the Fox News online host tell Jones it's been "a pleasure" listening to his rhetoric.
Fox News has been playing with radical fire in recent weeks and months. But can it contain the bonfire? Naturally, that doesn't stop Newsbusters from whining about the consequences and insisting that the GOP Noise Machine has no responsibility for the extraordinary hate it's been pushing since January.
UPDATE: Again, even Little Green Footballs is appalled:
Wow. Racists, 9/11 truthers, and conspiracy theorists, all brought to you by Fox News.
Featuring “the great Alex Jones.”
What the hell is wrong with Fox News?
UPDATE: During his webcast on FoxNews.com, Alex Jones also notes with pride how FNC's Glenn Beck has recently been warning about the emerging New World Order on the air, just like Jones.
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Anyone else see how David Sirota yesterday completely blew a chance to develop this topic on CNN?
On a panel show, he was given this idea as an opener. Even the host wanted to pursue this right wing hysteria leading to mass murder idea.
So what does Sirota do? He changes the topic, to one of that because he used to live in Montana, and Montana has a lot of guns, too many guns isn't the problem.
This is what happens when supposedly good guys like Sirota eagerly move to the Village. His inept, incoherent response to this idea-- defending guns, no less-- just proves why we're sunk.
faillibrul fails to keep her hissy fits straight from one thread to the next. Quit making a fool of yourself. Go find a busy freeway to play on. No one will miss you.
http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm This might interest you, and certainly you would agree that the dems are generally considered to be the party that favors gun control. So using that fact as a base isn't it just as reasonable to blame the dems for the recent gun violence, rather than conservatives that are merely pointing to the historical position of the dems. The fact is that it is ridiculous to blame either party for the actions of a deranged individual. But it can be spun either way.
Wow! common sense. I like that.
The truth is that criminals and nut jobs are going to get the guns with or without gun control, leaving responsible citizens defenseless, DC for instance.
here are those articles btw.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/630645/barak_obamas_gun_control_positions.html?cat=75
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080419/pl_politico/9722
http://www.sportsmenforobama.org/content/view/14/27/
Watch this one get swept under the rug too because it makes the reich wing look bad. Don't wanna be makin' a big ol' stink about terrorists attacking americans now, do we?
And a little icing on the cake - McCain calling hispanics "you people" again in another one of his temper tantrums. The rightwing republicans are really becoming unhinged and letting their inner racist out, aren't they?
If ya can't tell the difference, it's because you really ain't reading.
Sadly, no one would have known faillibrul's rant was a mistake because all her rants are completely irrelevant and founded on proud ignorance.
This was sadly a not unexpected consequence of the paranoid rhetoric of the last few months.
While the blame for these murders obviously lies squarely with the shooter, I hope Fox News and others on the anti-Obama/pro-paranoia right realizes that this is one of the effects that unsubstantiated fear-mongering will too often lead to.
yeah, right, fawlty. i dare you to hold your breath on that one.
They'll just say the guy was derranged. Of course, that is their core viewership that they are ginning up with completely FABRICATED stories about taking away guns, fascism and socialism.
They will take NO accountability. GUARANTEED.
We need to point this out to their advertisers. If the ratings and ad revenue decreases, THEN they will listen.
I hope Fox News and others on the anti-Obama/pro-paranoia right realizes that this is one of the effects that unsubstantiated fear-mongering will too often lead to.
If only-- I get the impression that they probably gave Bernard Goldberg a raise already.
He's still pimping his book of lists-- the one that guy down South wanted to assasinate, but couldn't, so he picked churchgoers instead.
MMFA again proves to be one of the only outlets, media watchdogs, left-wing blog, whatever you wish, to have the B&LLS to stand up to Fox News, the GOP & the NRA.
They have helped pointing out that the media has given up completely on gun control and bowed down to the power & money of the NRA.
Well, the media will continue to sweep this under the rug because they do not want to offer any sort of mea culpea or any culpability whatsoever for their egregious incitement and ginning-up hatred of Obama and Dems just for their politcal gain or for ratings sake.
This started several months ago with the Tennessee shooter who "wanted to kill liberals" after reading the book by guests of Hannity & O'Reilly. Now a 2nd case just like that.
But this will not be mentioned. Roger Ailes has determined that they are right no matter what anyone else says. And while O'reilly can claim that a woman who dresses provactively may be asking for rape, directly calling for armed violence against the president is completely tolerated.
and my response below is another proud defense of the reich claim against the right reich. Now go read another beck thread about calling the left reichies and weigh in. I have yet to see your denouncement.
Well if Beck is wrong, so are you...
It is from right here courtesy of our friends @ MMFA: http://mediamatters.org/items/200608040004
FL - It is not easy to defend people like O'reilly, Hannity and Beck. No matter how hard you may try. They are really suffering BIG from Obama winning the election and they need to get ahold of themselves before they all implode.
So what do you think O'Reilly meant by his statement?
Safe...
Not safe...
Gosh, you're right. I get it!
That's very good, when you have no response , post something stupid and irrevelent.
So she was "foolish" and acted "dangerous" and should "think twice", but she was not at fault?
That makes no sense.
I agree with you here, Fair. There's a difference between blaming the victim vs. asking why she failed to avoid trouble.
There's been a tremendous amount of nonsense on this issue, to the point where BOR haters are claiming that "this girl bears no responsibility for her rape and murder", etc.
If I get drunk and leave my car outside somewhere with the keys in it late at night, and it gets stolen, I share no responsibility? It's not my fault at all?
Of course it is-- it's a matter of degree, but nuanced thinking is no part of Olbermann's schtick. He's just as bad as Hannity and BOR at their worst.
And you are pretty naive if you don't think that a drunk young woman alone in a seedy area is not a magnet for a potential rapist and murderer. Had she not been drunk she would have been able to get her car back, which she had been towed for illegal parking. And had she not been drunk she might have thought to call a cab instead of wandering around in that area. And had she not been drunk she may have realized that going with the killer was not the right thing to do. Since she was from Jersey and that is where he took her, he probably offered her a ride home. Instead he raped and killed her.
If you don't think Oreilly's words aren't implying some responsibility on the part of the raped girls in the commentary copied here, then you're being far too forgiving. He refers to them as "moronic" and describes their attire clearly making the point they were bound to arouse sexual attention. I had read also that he made a comparison to Mel Gibson's drunken tirade against Jews and at least in large part blaming alcohol. How can you take all this as not partly blaming the victims?
"Can you quote O'Reilly when he claimed that a woman who dresses provacitively may be asking for rape?"
Any woman should be able to wear whatever she wants without being afraid that a predator will rape her. Regardless of what she wears, she is not asking to be raped. He said she was by saying that the predator would pick up on her behavior.
Sorry, FL, I've been trying to post this for a while now tonight but for some reason it is not showing. If things are cached, then you will see many replies from me on this thread!! My apologies for that, just trying to get one through ... here is the MMFA write up on O'Reilly's diatribe about the rape victim: http://mediamatters.org/items/200608040004?f=s_search
You can always just search these things yourself on MMFA, ya know ... ;)
This just begs the question.
The bottom line is-- the Alexa Foundation was not insulted by BOR. So why should I be?
faillibrul never fails to jump to defend her lord and master O'Racist. Thanks for continuing to demonstrate your stupidity for all to see.
Or for another example of a call for armed violence, how about the article leading into this thread, pinhead? Did you think that dude was just a protester?
Faux and am hate radio are to blame for these right-wing terrorists. We all know the right-wing are intellectually challenged and vastly incurious about facts and reality (faillibrul is a perfect example). The anti-Americans at Faux and on am hate radio takes advantage of the stupidity of the common conservative and is able to manipulate these terrorists-in-waiting. Conservatism = terrorism.
FL - It is right here from our friend here @ MMFA: http://mediamatters.org/items/200608040004
It cannot be easy for you to try to defend the likes of O'Reilly, Hannity and Beck. They are suffering so badly from Obama winning the presidency that they are at risk of imploding if they do not get ahold of themselves.
Can you quote O'Reilly when he claimed that a woman who dresses provacitively may be asking for rape?
Actually Fair, I agree with you on that one. But this was basically a Olbermann red-herring. O'Reilly never implied that or said it about rape, just like he never said the Sean Hornbeck kid enjoyed being raped and kidnapped.
All BOR said was that it's stupid to go out drunk and half-dressed late at night if you're a woman. Anyone who wants to argue a point like this is a fool. He wasn't excusing the crime or blaming the girl, and he was the only media figure who questioned the police version of that bizarre Hornbeck case.
Olbermann has lied about both events, and for what purpose? To make people forget how often he called 20-year old girls s**ts? (MMFA won't let me spell out the word, even..)
And how often was that exactly? I asked you to come up with quotes to verify this claim before and you ignored me. I'd love for you to finally back it up.
And back to O'Reilly, he explicitly stated that Hornbeck was having fun and liked his situation with his abductor:
O'REILLY: "The situation here for this kid looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted.VAN SUSTEREN: Some kids like school.
O'REILLY: What?
VAN SUSTEREN: Some kids like school.
O'REILLY: Well, I don't believe this kid did. And I think when it all comes down, what's going to happen is, there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances."
You can't deny that he spoke those words, and there's no way you can parse that to mean anything else. So how exactly did Olbermann "lie" about that quote? Or about this one:
"Now Moore, Jennifer Moore, 18, on her way to college. She was 5-foot-2, 105 pounds, wearing a miniskirt and a halter top with a bare midriff. Now, again, there you go. So every predator in the world is gonna pick that up at two in the morning."
That's the classic blame-the-victim response. It's unbelievable that anyone would attempt to excuse that.
In case you forgot, click on the "extraordinary hate" link from the end of Boehlert's commentary to see what liars they are when they try to deny any responsibility for the recent carnage.
Fox News has been playing with radical, right-wing fire in recent weeks and months. And now it can't contain the bonfire. Of course, that doesn't stop Newsbusters from whining about the consequences and insisting that the GOP Noise Machine has no responsibility for the extraordinary hate it's been pushing since January.
Awwww, the jessy jackson defense. How cute. Now go to any red state site and find thousands of examples. Better yet, check craigslist rants and raves in Austin, you get pictures with the reichy spoutings of the N word. Hundreds daily in just one city...
You really want to suggest Glen Beck, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc. etc. etc. have never used "the R word"? That's dillusional at best. Heck, I just recently posted an entire video of Beck doing that very thing with full back supporting video of Nazi's marching and doing seig heil's while beck drones on about Obama and the march to fascism on his silly little program. Maybe now is the time for you to claim he was taken out of context...
fair, I agree with you on this thing too.
You know, you should check out the Daily Howler blog. He's been saying some of the same things you are about many liberal's use of hate words, phony, fabricated issues and dummy logic.
The discussion about the R word started because you used it, no one else. And my comments were originally directed towards O'Reilly and had absolutely nothing to do with any of the others you mentioned. You are just looking to defense your use of offensive words. Some of us were taught as children that " 2 wrongs don't make a right" , it is unfortunate you did not learn it also.
Way back when, after Timothy McVeigh and Oklahoma City, Rush Limbaugh was very, very upset that Clinton appeared to suggest that Limbaugh's angry rhetoric may have played a role in that event. I agreed then and I agree now, McVeigh probably decided that Limbaugh and other right-wingers would love him for taking dramatic action against the e-e-e-villl government.
Reportedly, Limbaugh toned down his rhetoric after that.
This was a common theme running through the entire gun show. Every booth that I went to, I was told I had better stock up on weapons now, because that dang N***** Obama is going to take all of our guns away, and there is no way he's going to get mine, and so on and so forth. This was not just a few people saying this, this was pretty much everyone I talked to at the show. It was weird and surreal really. Here are what I would otherwise call normal people, and they were talking about armed revolt against the government should they come and take their guns (nobody is talking about doing that of course, but that's beside the point I guess).
And, you should have heard the guy from the NC militia. He was probably most off the hook. He was talking about building a bunker, stocking with food and water and weapons and ammo for the showdown that he is sure is coming, because of that N***** Obama.
It was sort of scary. If they had known that I had voted for Obama, I'm pretty sure I would have been escorted off the grounds at gunpoint for doing so. I'm not even kidding. And where are these folks getting their information (I asked a bunch of them)?
The number one answer was, yes, FoxNews. Following close in second place, Glenn Beck.
This is unfortunate and scary but not surprising considering what happened during the election.The McCain campaign(esp Palin) stoked these fires then acted insulted about their supporterswhen warned of the dangers.Fox News and conservative Talk Radio fan it everyday and little is done to criticize or try to temper it.What I don't understand is why the rest of the media is ignoring the connections.After all of the mass shootings recently,this incident and the one in Knoxville with the shooters showing connections to radical right wing propaganda directly from media sources,maybe something will be done.
I wish that everyone would seek the truth. Just like I looked into Alex Jones before I became a part of the truth movement I encourage all to look into this group of Eric, Karl and Jamisen. This country needs real truth and people that can actually back up what they are saying. Alex's investigations are legitimate and verifiable. Can you say that any of site that is willing to label and to link harsh words without any real investigation is one that you can trust?
It is just the same wool over your eyes stuff that we have been fed by the media for so long. This murder had as much to do with Alex as the texting driver that plowed into the crowd did with the phone company.
Wake up and investigate media before you take their word for things. Sheesh! When I was in communication classes in collage and wrote for the local paper we had to verify our sources and if we commented we had to have a real base for it.
Look into what the truth is not what you are being told it is. Stop listenting to people that do not investigate and verify what they are saying.
selective memory, or just plain ignorance? what about gore vidal's book perpetual war, where he basically defends mcveigh and his views on american foreign policy. hope you understand that he's not defending mcveigh's actions, he's just saying that he had a point in that the government was overstepping it's bounds all around the globe.
yeah koresh was a real menace alright. he had sex with those teen girls. what a piece of garbage. thank god our local military stepped in and INCINERATED those kids. if not, they might've ended up pregnant or something.
and let's not forget the splc's involvement with provoking violent acts in extremist separtist groups.
you have a point in that repbulicans DO indeed sponsor terror. but remember the democrats do too. hopefully you'll wake up and realize that both parties agree when it comes to destroying americans.
wow, you're essentially blaming the actions of a worthless, selfish homicidal piece of garbage on fox and alex jones? you realize that you're being as unamerican as you've been accused of being by those same parties. and guess what? jones is right. obama, emmanuel, clinton all have gun grabbing tendencies. please read your constitution! there was very good reason to keep LAW ABIDING citizens armed. so a large group of armed thugs can't take us over! good enough reason for me.
let's be realistic here. there are thousands of alex jones listeners and millions of fox watchers. ONE has shot some people. see some perspective? john wayne gacy was a democrat and CARTER fan. was gacy simply falling prey to the influence of his party and leader? should they be watched, silenced, jailed? THIS IS AMERICA. IF YOU CAN'T DISSENT HERE, WE'RE ALL DOOMED. so bye bye, free america, hello fascism!
please, mediamatters, please try to uphold freedom of speech rather than ignore it.
remember, democrats-prominent ones-voted for the baby slaughter in iraq! and i guarantee they supported the baby slaughter in gaza. not saying four cops is nothing, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to iraqi civilians killed by the bi partisan slaughter.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Meaning, that at the time of the founding of our country, we really did not have much of a standing army. After we fought the revolution, we disbanded our army, because again, we didn't think we would need a standing army, and hence, the need for a well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, meaning, for the use of local militias.
That being said, I think it is now an enumerated right, and will not be changed otherwise. We will always have the right to own and operate firearms.
Where is your proof that Obama is a gun grabber? You know, those statements that he has put out that states he doesn't want your guns?
We have a military that will protect the Constitution of the United States. Bear in mind, their oath is NOT to the country, but to protect the Constitution.
You don't see the difference between Gacy and this guy? He said he was killing people BECAUSE of what Obama supposedly wants to do (again, no proof behind that), and he has been spurred on by Jones, and others. I still ultimately blame him, but where did he get these false ideas from? Alex Jones, and FoxNews. You know, the ideas that made him angry enough to kill.
Nobody is talking about silencing anyone. We are talking about responsible journalism, and again, as you guys seem to forget. Having a radio show, or a TV show is NOT a right. Not at all. Nobody is saying take away their right to say what they want. They can, and they will. You know who would defend these guys first if a law was passed to take away their right to speak? Yes, the ACLU, which I'm sure is a boogeyman of yours.
So let me get this straight. Somehow, America is responsible for Israelis killing Palestinians? OK, sure.
And in Iraq we're baby killers? I am super liberal, and I don't think that, not for one minute. I think our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing the job they were sent there to do, and I do blame the people who voted to use force in Iraq, along with the person who was ultimately responsible, George W. Bush. Congress voted for it, but he didn't have to use force, and had no reason to use force.
Why do you hate soldiers to call them baby killers?
. "After we fought the revolution, we disbanded our army, because again, we didn't think we would need a standing army, and hence, the need for a well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, meaning, for the use of local militias."
no way. the interpretation of the time was that people needed to arm themselves to protect themselves. and the standing army wasn't disbanded because we didn't need it. read the founders, standing army was disbanded because a standing army was a threat to the citizen's liberties. they could a) be used abroad for power grabbing purposes or b)could be used against the people should a despot gain power.
dude, the guy was a neonazi. i assure you that most fox watchers and jones listeners are not. intelligent listeners understand that the news items are not discusssed so we can go snipe cops. if you actually listen to jones he states repeatedly that the government wants y ou to be violent. violence is their weapon of choice, jones promotes spreading awareness and vigilance towards our gov't, just like the founders did.
"nobody is talking about silencing anyone"
"having a radio show or tv show is not a right"
oh yes it is. in the internet age it is a right. and you may not be explicitly trying to silence anyone but you understand that you're playing into the hands of those who would like to control the radio and internet.
btw, i'm indifferent to the aclu. look, everyone's not a robot like the rest of america. it is possible to watch fox news and not agree with them, just to let you know. i watch fox, listen to alex jones, listen to democracy now. i'm not the homicidal kook you think i am.
you don't believe that babies get killed in war? "i don't think that." well, its not a matter of opinion when you're talking about dead children. if you don't think so, the dead children remain dead, just to let you know. super liberal, indeed.
and i really don't remember saying i hate the troops. please refresh my failing memory. bush isn't ultimately responsible. the guy is a useful idiot. the congress and press bent over and spread cheeks for the clown.
and i didn't say that america was responsible for the civilian slaughter in gaza. our government supports israel's actions. don't you understand the difference between americans and our government?
in fact, jones' wife is jewish. guess what? that's a major point that the antisemites use against jones again and again. he's been accused of being an agent of mossad for moses' sake!
also, if you think israel would be as agressive as it is without american support over the decades, you might be crazy.
you understand context, don't you little girl? we were talking after the american revolution, the context is standing army in peacetime. plus, yes local militias comprised of armed citizens could work to defend the land.
i know you don't think so because you're used to cheerleading as we bomb the hell out of innocent populations based on fantasy evidence and consulting god.
i'm thinking of something a bit more honorable, like defending yourself when you're being attacked on your soil. not using an attack on your soil as an excuse to invade any country that's been on your s---list or because of oil company plans.